Playground bouncer device



Jan. 14, 1964 w. GREGORY 3,117,780

PLAYGROUND BOUNCER DEVICE Filed June 6, 1962 I! Q; I

/5' y/J /6' 2 3 c 4 f 7 x 4 l0 INVENTOR 9 3 1 1 8 2/ James W. Gregory i 0171' By M? M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,117,780 PLAYGRGUND BOUNCER DEVICE James W. Gregory, 922 Holiywood Ave., Dalias, Tex. Filed June 6, 1962, Ser. No. 200,456 2 Claims. (Qi. 27256) This invention is concerned with playground equipment, and is particularly concerned with a device to be placed on a playground or in the yard for the recreation and entertainment of children.

The device generally consists of a cylindrical base support, having outwardly extending spring members on each side thereof arranged to alternately come into contact with the ground to cause the opposite sides thereof to alternately bounce off the ground by reason of the unbalanced weight of the participant or participants.

The device is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and provides a maximum of entertainment and exercise for children.

It is the type of playground equipment which does not have to be permanently anchored, is portable, and pro- Vides maximum safety.

It is, therefore, a primary object of the invention to provide a playground device for the entertainment and recreation of children which includes a rotatable or roll ing base to be disposed on the ground or other surface, and having resilient, spring-like, members at each side thereof, spaced from the ground, so that as the base is rotated on the ground the resilient members will alternately strike the ground, to cause the device to rotate back and forth in response to the shifting of the weight of the participant or participants.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a playground device which is simple in construction, and offers a maximum of entertainment and recreation at an economical cost.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the detailed specification hereinafter following, and by referring to the drawings annexed hereto.

A suitable embodiment of the invention is shown in the attached drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the playground device;

FIGURE 11 is a side elevational view thereof; and

FIGURE III is an end elevational view thereof.

Numeral references are employed to designate the various parts shown in the drawings, and like numerals indicate like parts throughout the various figures of the drawmgs.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 indicates a cylindrical support or base member which may be made of tubular pipe stock, or it may be solid and made of wood, plastic or any other suitable material. Preferably it is hollow or more of light-weight material in order to reduce the overall weight of the device.

Vertical hand rail supports 2 and 3 are attached to, and extend upwardly from, opposite ends of the cylindrical base 1, said vertical supports being secured to the base 1 by means of attachment flanges 4 and suitable bolts or rivets passing therethrough.

A cylindrical hand rail 5 is attached between the upper ends of the vertical hand hold supports 2 and 3. Preferably the hand hold rod 5 is secured to the vertical supports 2 and 3 by means of bearings 6 and '7, so that the hand hold support 5 is rotatable, to prevent chafing and abrasion to the hands of the participants encircled about the hand hold rod.

Support straps S and 9, which are preferably made of spring-like material, are formed to provide semi-circular loops 9a extending about the cylindrical base 1 adjacent each end thereof, and which are secured to the cylindrical base 1 by means of suitable rivets 10.

, 3,117,780 Patented Jan. 14, 1964 "ice The strap members 8 and 9 are shaped to form horizontally extending portions 1 1 to which are secured a floor 12- by means of rivets =13.

The strap members 8 and 9 are further shaped to provide vertically extending portions 14 and are terminated at their outer ends by the arcuate portions 15. The ends of the arcuate portions '15 are spaced from the ground, as shown in FIGURE II.

Tension springs 16 are connected between the ends of the arcuate portions 15 and the upper horizontally extending portions 14a of the straps 8 and 9. The springs 16 are secured between the ends of the arcuate portions 15 and the upper horizontal portions 14a by means of upper bnackets 17 and lower brackets "18 clamped thereabout and held in place by means of suitable bolts 19.

Spaced treads 20 are provided on the lower side of the cylindrical frame member 1. The treads 20 may be made of a resilient material, such as rubber, or they may be metal. The purpose of the treads is to space the frame member 1 from the ground, and to provide a uniform rolling base for the device.

The openation and function of the playground device hereinbefore described, is as follows:

The participants stand on the platform 12 at each side of the hand hold rod 5, and grasp the rod 5 with the hands. By alternately shifting their weight from one side of the base to the other, the device may be caused to rotate back and forth on the treads 20. When the device is rotated in one direction, the lower ends of the arcuate portions 15 which are made of spring-like material, strike the ground 21 with considerable impact, bending the arenate portions 15 inwardly and compressing the springs 16. The recoil of the springs will cause the device to rotate rapidly in the other direction, causing the participants to shift their weight in the other direction contracting the springs 16 on the other side of the device is pivoted upon the treads 20 and as the lower end of the arcuate portions 15 at the other end of the device strike the ground. This action is alternately carried out in rapid fashion, as the weight of the participants is shifted from side to side. As the rapidity of the oscillating movement increases it becomes more difficult for the participants to maintain their balance, thus developing balance and dexterity.

One participant can operate the device by simply jumping back and forth over the hand hold rod 5, and landing on the platform =12, causing his weight to pivot the frame about the of the cylindrical base member 1, and the device can be kept going in this manner by one participant.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a playground device which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and operate, and provides maximum entertainment and recreation for children.

It will be understood that other and further forms of my invention may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

"1. In a device of the class described,

an elongate cylindrical base;

spaced semi-circular tread members attached to the lower side of the base;

spaced parallel frame members having portions embracing the base,

and being shaped to form lower horizontal portions extending on each side of the base and above the lower surface; thereof,

vertical pontions extending upwardly from the outer ends of the horizontal portions,

upper horizontal portions extending outwardly from the upper ends of the vertical portions,

and arcuate portions extending outwardly and downwardly from the outer ends of the upper 3 4 horizontal portions with the lower ends of the 2. The combination called for in claim 1 wherein arc'ua te portions extending inwardly toward the the enter ends of the rod-like heind hold member are base and spaced from the surface on which the mounted on bearings attached at the outer ends of base is disposed; w h the vertical hand hold support members. a spring member between the lowe r'end of each arou- 5 are portion and the upper horizontal portion; References Cited in the file of this patent a platform member secured between the lower horizo-n- ED STATES PA tal portions above the base; vertical hand hold support members attached at each 2551030 M 1832 end of the base and extending upwardly therefrom; 10 ,1 b- 3 z and a rod-like hand hold member extending between 1,349,701 Wallace F g- 1920 i 2,726,845 Hyslop et a1 Dec. 13, 1955 3 the upper ends of the vertical support members.

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1. IN A DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, AN ELONGATE CYLINDRICAL BASE; SPACED SEMI-CIRCULAR TREAD MEMBERS ATTACHED TO THE LOWER SIDE OF THE BASE; SPACED PARALLEL FRAME MEMBERS HAVING PORTIONS EMBRACING THE BASE, AND BEING SHAPED TO FORM LOWER HORIZONTAL PORTIONS EXTENDING ON EACH SIDE OF THE BASE AND ABOVE THE LOWER SURFACE THEREOF, VERTICAL PORTIONS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE OUTER ENDS OF THE HORIZONTAL PORTIONS, UPPER HORIZONTAL PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE UPPER ENDS OF THE VERTICAL PORTIONS, AND ARCUATE PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY FROM THE OUTER ENDS OF THE UPPER HORIZONTAL PORTIONS WITH THE LOWER ENDS OF THE ARCUATE PORTIONS EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD THE BASE AND SPACED FROM THE SURFACE ON WHICH THE BASE IS DISPOSED; A SPRING MEMBER BETWEEN THE LOWER END OF EACH ARCUATE PORTION AND THE UPPER HORIZONTAL PORTION; A PLATFORM MEMBER SECURED BETWEEN THE LOWER HORIZONTAL PORTIONS ABOVE THE BASE; VERTICAL HAND HOLD SUPPORT MEMBERS ATTACHED AT EACH END OF THE BASE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM; AND A ROD-LIKE HAND HOLD MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UPPER ENDS OF THE VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBERS. 